Linsley taken by Packers in 5th round

By TIM MAY

Corey Linsley became the fifth Ohio State player taken in the 2014 NFL draft this afternoon when the Green Bay Packers made him the 21st pick of the fifth round. Not bad for a fellow from Ohio whose favorite NFL team growing up was the Packers.

"I once dressed up as Brett Favre for Halloween," Linsley said, referring to the former Green Bay star quarterback. "I even had a cheesehead."

So to get that call this afternoon "was unbelieveable," he said.

Linsley will step into an immediate competition for the center job with the Packers, who saw last year’s starter Evan Dietrich-Smith move on to Tampa Bay as a free agent after not putting up a matching offer. That put J.C. Tretter, a fourth-round draft pick a year ago, No.1 on the depth chart.

At Ohio State, Linsley started his last 26 games after being moved to center by coach Urban Meyer and his new staff in 2012. Linsley rose to first team all-Big Ten status his senior season.

Along the way, he showed he could play with pain, dealing with a sore foot much of his senior season, while anchoring a line that launched one of the more prolific offenses in school history.

Packers offensive line coach James Campen took questions from the media about Linsley a little while ago, and called him “a really good long snapper,” a necessary fundamental in the team’s Aaron Rodgers-run offense, and a staple of the spread offense used by Ohio State.

“He pulls very well, and he gets to his aiming points very well,” Campen continued. “His pass blocking is very good. He also showed the ability to block the nose (guard) one on one while both guards were fanning out. He uses his leverage to his advantage.”

Linsley did 36 reps with the 225 pound bench press, a great number, and has bench pressed more than 500 pounds.

“He has room to improve,” Campen said. “He'll get in and learn our terminology and I expect him to get better.”